Operation “Pick-Off” Expands Into Houston With Arrests of Previously Deported Foreign Nationals Accused of Illegal Reentry

HOUSTON — Federal authorities have expanded a targeted enforcement operation in Texas that focuses on individuals accused of reentering the United States after deportation while also facing or serving sentences for prior criminal offenses in local jurisdictions. The initiative, known as Operation Pick-Off, has now extended into the Houston metropolitan region, where several foreign nationals were taken into federal custody following coordinated investigations by federal law enforcement agencies.

According to federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Texas, those arrested in recent enforcement actions include Karen Paola Cabeza-Magana, also known as Karen Hernandez, 29, a citizen of Guatemala; Julio Gonzalez-Portillo, 54, also a Guatemalan national; David Rodriguez Solis, 52, a citizen of Mexico; Jose Garcia Zamora, 39, also from Mexico; and Jose Mario Alvarado, also known as Julio Mario Alvarado, 57, a citizen of El Salvador.

Federal authorities allege each of the individuals had previously been removed from the United States and later reentered the country without authorization. Prosecutors state the individuals were located in the greater Houston region while already under state probation supervision or other court-ordered monitoring tied to earlier criminal convictions.

The charges filed in the federal cases involve illegal reentry after removal, an offense that carries significant penalties under federal law when individuals return to the United States after deportation, especially when prior criminal convictions are present.

Investigators stated that the individuals arrested in the Houston area had prior state convictions connected to a range of offenses that included assault, aggravated assault involving a family member, driving under the influence, and narcotics-related crimes. Federal authorities indicated that each of the individuals had been removed from the United States at least once before the most recent arrests.

Operation Pick-Off was first launched in August 2025 in the Rio Grande Valley, where federal prosecutors and investigators developed a strategy aimed at identifying individuals who had previously been deported and later reentered the United States while simultaneously facing or serving sentences connected to local criminal cases. The program specifically focuses on situations where individuals are already under the supervision of state courts, allowing federal authorities to pursue immigration-related criminal charges in parallel with local enforcement actions.

The enforcement effort has since expanded beyond the Rio Grande Valley and now operates across multiple jurisdictions within the Southern District of Texas, including Harris County, Fort Bend County, and Montgomery County, all of which fall within the greater Houston region.

Federal authorities stated the operation is structured as a continuing enforcement program, meaning arrests and criminal filings are expected to occur on a rolling basis as investigators identify individuals who meet the criteria established under the initiative.

The Houston arrests were carried out through joint investigative efforts involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Houston Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, working alongside federal prosecutors assigned to the Houston Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Federal investigators stated that the initiative relies on intelligence sharing between agencies to identify individuals who have previously been deported, determine whether they reentered the country unlawfully, and confirm whether those individuals have pending criminal supervision requirements within state court systems.

Authorities indicated that the cases will now move forward in federal court, where each of the defendants faces prosecution under federal immigration law. If convicted, individuals charged with illegal reentry after removal can face substantial prison sentences, with the length of the sentence often influenced by prior criminal history and the number of previous deportations.

Officials stated the enforcement strategy will continue to expand as investigators monitor criminal supervision databases and immigration records to identify additional cases that fall within the scope of the operation.

Under federal law, criminal complaints and indictments represent formal accusations. Each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

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